Riven Counters
The best Riven counters in League of Legends patch 26.1 are Ornn, Illaoi, Shen, Garen, Jayce. The best Riven counter is Ornn, with Riven having only a 30.19% win rate in this matchup. Secondary patch 26.1 Riven counter choices are Singed, Teemo, Malphite, Chogath, Urgot. Below are the top Riven counters and matchups alongside their win rates.
Runic Blade
Riven's abilities charge her blade, and her basic attacks expend charges to deal an additional damage.
Broken Wings
Riven lashes out in a series of strikes. This ability can be reactivated three times in a short time frame with the third hit knocking back nearby enemies.
Cost:- 0
Cooldown:- 13
Range:- 275
Ki Burst
Riven emits a Ki Burst, damaging and stunning nearby enemies.
Cost:- 0
Cooldown:- 11/
- 10/
- 9/
- 8/
- 7
Range:- 260
Valor
Riven steps forward a short distance and blocks incoming damage.
Cost:- 0
Cooldown:- 10/
- 9/
- 8/
- 7/
- 6
Range:- 250
Blade of the Exile
Riven empowers her keepsake weapon with energy, and gains Attack Damage and Range. During this time, she also gains the ability to use Wind Slash, a powerful ranged attack, once.
Cost:- 0
Cooldown:- 120/
- 90/
- 60
Range:- 200
- Fighter,
- Assassin
These champions are Riven's hardest counters in League of Legends patch 26.1. Ornn is Riven's biggest counter with only a 30.19% win rate for Riven. When facing these Riven counter picks, focus on safe farming and waiting for jungle assistance. Avoid extended trades and play around your power spikes to survive difficult Riven matchups.
Ornn
Illaoi
Shen
Garen
Jayce
Singed
Teemo
Malphite
Cho'Gath
Urgot
When facing Riven in League of Legends, understanding Riven's primary damage profile is essential for building effective counter strategies. Riven deals primarily physical damage, which means prioritizing armor in your defensive itemization will significantly reduce Riven's threat in fights. Top defensive items against Riven include Plated Steelcaps, Frozen Heart, Randuin's Omen, and Thornmail. These items provide substantial armor stats that directly mitigate Riven's damage output throughout all stages of the game.
From a champion selection perspective, the strongest Riven counters are Ornn, Illaoi, Shen, and Garen. These champions either out-trade Riven in lane, have abilities that negate Riven's core mechanics, or scale better into team fights. Ornn in particular exploits Riven's weaknesses by providing consistent pressure while being difficult to punish.
Beyond item builds and counter picks, successful counter play against Riven involves understanding Riven's power spikes and cooldown windows. Engage on Riven when key abilities are on cooldown, and coordinate with your team to focus Riven in team fights before Riven can output maximum damage. Vision control is also crucial when playing against Riven to avoid getting caught out of position. By combining proper defensive itemization with smart champion selection and strategic gameplay, you can effectively neutralize Riven's impact and secure victory.
Understanding Riven's power curve is essential for effective counter play. Here's when Riven is most vulnerable throughout the game.
EARLYEarly Game (Levels 1-6)
Riven may look for extended trades. Avoid long fights and kite with slows. Short trades favor you against sustained damage.
MIDMid Game (Levels 7-13)
Riven becomes increasingly tanky mid game. Focus on kiting and percent health damage. Avoid fighting in choke points.
LATELate Game (Levels 14-18)
Riven is very durable late game. Use armor penetration or anti-tank items. Focus squishier targets first if Riven is too tanky.
Use these actionable tips to gain an advantage when facing Riven in lane or team fights.
- Pick Ornn or similar champions with kits that exploit Riven's weaknesses
- Build Plated Steelcaps or Seeker's Armguard early to reduce Riven's damage in lane
- Track Riven's cooldowns and engage when key abilities are unavailable
- Ward Riven's common roam paths and ping missing immediately
- Coordinate with your jungler to gank Riven during vulnerable windows
- Group with teammates to deny Riven solo picks
- Place control wards in flanking positions to spot Riven's engages
Riven performs exceptionally well against these champions in patch 26.1. Yasuo is Riven's best matchup with a 64.15% win rate. When playing Riven into these favorable matchups, look for early aggression and lane dominance. Riven can capitalize on these champions' weaknesses to snowball leads and carry games.
Yasuo
Irelia
Gwen
Gangplank
Fiora
Jax
Vladimir
Yone
Aatrox
Kayle
Riven Counters - Frequently Asked Questions
Who counters Riven?
The best Riven counters are Ornn, Illaoi, and Shen. These champions have favorable matchups against Riven and can exploit Riven's weaknesses effectively in League of Legends patch 26.1.
What is Riven's hardest counter?
Ornn is Riven's hardest counter with Riven having only a 30.19% win rate in this matchup. Illaoi (41.18% WR) and Shen (42.47% WR) are also strong Riven counters.
Who does Riven counter?
Riven performs well against Yasuo, Irelia, and Gwen. These are Riven's best matchups where Riven has favorable win rates and can dominate lane in patch 26.1.
How do I beat Riven in lane?
To beat Riven in lane, pick a counter champion like Ornn or Illaoi. Focus on trading when Riven's key abilities are on cooldown, and build armor items to reduce Riven's damage output. Ward defensively and call for jungle assistance if Riven gains an advantage.
What items counter Riven?
The best items to counter Riven are Plated Steelcaps, Frozen Heart, Randuin's Omen, and Thornmail. These items provide armor which directly reduces Riven's damage. Consider building these items early if you're struggling against Riven in lane.
When is Riven weakest?
Riven is typically weakest during specific power troughs between item spikes. Exploit windows when Riven's ultimate or key abilities are on cooldown. Coordinate with your team to engage on Riven before Riven can set up fights on Riven's own terms.
How do I play Riven into counter matchups?
When playing Riven into counters like Ornn, focus on safe farming, waiting for jungle assistance, and playing around power spikes. Avoid extended trades in unfavorable matchups and look for opportunities to scale into mid and late game.
What champions are similar to Riven's counters?
If Ornn, Illaoi, or Shen are banned or picked, look for champions with similar kits that can exploit Riven's weaknesses. Champions with crowd control, burst damage, or sustained damage (depending on Riven's vulnerabilities) can serve as alternative counters.